Learning more about you
by Marsetta
Summary: They were traveling, and Tom should probably learn not to insult people, no matter who they are. Part of my Early Changes AU, where in Ron travels back to the 1920s and manages to get into a relationship with Voldemort's parents.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So, I entered this thing where it was 58 prompts, 29 stories. This is Prompts 35 and 50. Let's see how many I can get out tonight.**

 **So this is number two in my Merope Gaunt/Ron Weasley/Tom Riddle series. This deals with stuffs.**

 **35(emotion/feeling) Provocative/50(dialogue) "Just because you're beautiful doesn't mean you can treat people like they don't matter."**

 **I don't Own!**

 _ **Enjoy!**_

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Tom Riddle didn't know why he decided it was a good idea to follow these people away from home. They were both either crazy, or actually magic, which he had been raised to believe was a power given to humans by the devil.

He and Merope had found Ron wandering in the forest, obviously lost, only a few hours after they had departed. Merope gave him a scolding about running off like that.

Tom had never thought that he would develop feelings for the woman, girl? She had always been there sure, and he had always saw her as nothing more then the tramp's daughter, someone to mock. And now, thanks to the boy, Ron, he saw her for the kind, nurturing woman she could be, at times. It also showed him the strong, risk taking woman she was.

"Oh no, my family! If they find us, they'll kill you both, and I-" And sometimes she was the insecure, scared little girl that he had seen on occasion, when he saw her with her brother or father.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you, right Tom?" Ron looked at him with the brightest smile. Tom knew then that these two were magic, and maybe evil, because he felt his heart swell, a red flush coming up on his cheeks.

"Ye- yes. We will protect you as best we can." Tom assured her. Both Ron and Merope grinned now, and while Merope wasn't very pretty, her face was actually disturbing, but he knew why, and he still felt the swell in his heart grow when her eyes shown in the moonlight. He was sure that he was enchanted by these two, enchanted to love them, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be saved.

* * *

Merope lead the boy's through the forest, heading to the nearest city. She made sure to keep her head covered with the shawl she brought, knowing that she wasn't the prettiest girls around. She still wasn't sure what the boy's saw in her, why they stayed with her of all people.

It hurt her really, to be traveling with both of them. She knew she was developing feelings for Ron, and the feelings she felt for Tom only grew since they began talking. They changed, but grew. She knew it wasn't just infatuation, growing more toward love now.

She didn't want to choose one now, and just the fact that she had a choice was mind boggling for her, a novelty that she never thought she would have.

* * *

Ron knew that it was probably a bad idea, changing the past so much. He remembered what Harry told him, what Dumbledore had to Harry. How Vold- Tom Jr, er, the third? He's going to call him Tommy, how Tommy's mom somehow magicked his father into a relationship.

The Merope he knows now would never do that. He thought his being here was a bad thing, but he already made a big difference in their lives, if not more people's lives. Everything was different now, probably. It's not like he could pop into the future to see how much he had changed.

He just hoped that this doesn't blow up in his face.

* * *

Ron rubbed his eyes, screaming was what woke him up, screaming that was still going on next to his spot under a short tree.

"Just because you're beautiful doesn't mean you can treat people like they don't matter!" Merope yelled, her hands were clenched as she glared at the man, Tom, who was glaring right back.

"I can treat them like they don't matter, if they do not matter!" He yelled back. Ron was confused, very confused. What had gotten into the two? They had been on such good terms when Ron had fallen asleep.

"But they do matter! They matter to me!" Merope looked like she was ready to punch the man. Ron wasn't sure if he should intervene.

"They hurt you! Why are you defending them?!" And now everything made more sense. But, Ron was also confused why Merope was defending them.

"They are still my family, they were all I had for 16 years! They raised me, took care of me! You can not speak about them that way!" She bit out, tears springing to her eyes.

Ron knew that you don't speak ill of people, even if they were ill people. Harry was the same, his family weren't the best, but Harry would defend them to the death. It was probably a feeling that many children felt, you don't speak ill of the people who raised you, no matter how you were raised. Maybe a form of, what did Hermione call it? Stalk Home syndrome? Something like that.

"Family doesn't treat family like that Merope!" Tom continued, Ron figured that he felt provocative this morning. Merope didn't speak, instead, she burst into tears.

Her hands went to her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears. The liquid poured out of her eyes and dripped off her hands.

Ron wanted to go to her, but Tom was faster.

"I'm sorry, I-" Tom started, his arms going to her shoulders.

"Get away from me!" She pushed him away, her face twisting into an ugly sneer.

"Don't you touch me." She grit out as she backed away from her. Ron knew that if he went to her, it would probably make Tom feel betrayed, and he doesn't want to take sides, but he also knew that Merope needed someone right now. He stood slowly, and made his way over.

"Merope?" He asked softly, his eyes darting to Tom before going back to Merope.

"What?" She sneered, "are you going to tell me how to feel too?" She grinds out. Ron could see her shaking. She was afraid. Ron wouldn't blame her. She probably never got away with this at her previous home, and she was just waiting for them to 'punish' her.

"We're sorry. I know that Tom never meant any harm, right?" He looked to Tom, who nodded stiffly.

"See, I know what family means to me, and if family means to you even half of what it means to me, you must still care for your father and brother. Am I right?" Ron asked softly, not wanting to spook her. She nodded slowly, her eyes going to Tom. She looks more afraid of him, maybe because she sees him as the worse threat, maybe because Ron hasn't yelled at her.

"Okay, Tom is sorry, right Tom?" Ron looked at the man pointedly. Tom took a deep breath.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I only meant to console you. I am sorry if my words have given you the wrong impression of my intentions." Tom bowed his head, holding a hand to his heart.

"I- I am sorry as well. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I had no right." Merope said softly. Tom surprised them both by snapping his head up.

"You had every right to defend your family. I am actually ashamed that I have driven you so far. I meant to hurt them, not you. I had not realized that by hurting them, I hurt you. I think I love you more, knowing that you are willing to defend those even I could not." Tom reddened a bit at the end, letting words slip out of his mouth without meaning too. Ron gaped at him. Merope was silent, and pale.

"You, love me?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. Her eyes were wide, her hand clenching at the fabric over her heart.

"I do." Tom said firmly. He looked paler then normal all of a sudden. Ron wasn't sure the exact reason, but he could guess.

"I- I don't know. Tom. If you had confessed even a week ago, I would have been over joyed. But now... Things are different now." Ron noticed that both of them glanced at him. Well, there was another thing that went wrong with him coming back in time.

But hey, if the two never get together, there would be no Voldemort.

"I understand. I hope this changes nothing, and that we could still be friends?" Tom sounded hurt, but not unwilling to work through this. Ron was relieved.

"Yes. We will see where this takes us." Merope smiled softly. "Now come. We still have a days walk to the next town."

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 **Tada! So, This happened. I want to write more for this series in a bit.**

 **Mars**


	2. AN

**So, Just a quick note for any followers of this story, I'm rewriting this story.**

 **I will be putting the rewritten story as a new chapter in a larger story, "Early Changes", with all other stories written for this AU, so they are better kept track of, the first has already been rewritten and waiting to be read.**

 **I will delete this story at the beginning of the new year, as a purge for my account.**

 **Mars**


End file.
